ICE Barcelona 2026 Wraps with Record Regulator Attendance, Meta Criticism, and €20B Illegal Market Warning

ICE Barcelona 2026 concluded January 21 with record regulator turnout and a clear message from the industry’s top enforcement officials: the sector’s biggest threat isn’t competition—it’s the €20 billion illegal market draining licensed operators and EU tax coffers alike. As we covered in our preview, the 2026 edition marked the second year in Barcelona after the move from London, and it delivered on scale while sharpening focus on regulatory enforcement.

By the Numbers: Attendance and Scale

ICE Barcelona 2026 drew 65,000+ delegates from over 180 countries across its three-day run at Fira Barcelona Gran Via. The event hosted 750+ exhibitors across 143,000 square meters of exhibition space—up from 120,000 sqm in 2025 and 100,000 sqm during the final London edition in 2024.

The headline figure for industry watchers: approximately 400 regulators attended, breaking the previous record of 300+ set in 2025. Clarion Gaming assembled a Regulatory Advisory Board for this edition and expanded its Regulatory Programme to include private sessions, working lunches, and discounted access—all operating under Chatham House Rules to encourage candid discussion.

Tim Miller vs. Meta: The Headline Moment

The defining moment of ICE 2026 came on opening day when UK Gambling Commission Executive Director Tim Miller delivered a pointed rebuke of Meta for hosting illegal casino advertisements targeting British consumers—including those who have self-excluded through GamStop.

Miller’s speech didn’t mince words. He pointed to Meta’s own ad library as evidence of the company’s awareness, noting that anyone can search for “not on GamStop” and find active advertisements for unlicensed operators. “It’s effectively a window into criminality,” Miller said. “If we can find them then so can Meta: they simply choose not to look.”

“I would be very surprised if Meta, as one of the world’s largest tech companies, is incapable of proactively using their own keyword facility to prevent the advertising of illegal gambling.”
— Tim Miller, UK Gambling Commission Executive Director

The “Not on GamStop” advertisements are particularly troubling because they specifically target consumers who have taken the difficult step of self-excluding from licensed gambling sites. Meta’s response—that it enforces “strict advertising policies” and removes violations “once identified”—drew skepticism from Miller, who called the assertion that Meta didn’t know about such ads until notified “simply false.”

Miller ended with a call to action: “We need to work together to ensure that there is no room for suppliers and other companies who want to benefit from the legitimate industry whilst also actively undermining our collective efforts to tackle illegal gambling operators. It’s time to force them to pick a side.”

The UK Government is responding with new enforcement tools. The Crime and Policing Bill will grant the Gambling Commission powers to suspend IP addresses and domains, backed by £26 million in additional funding over three years. From April to December 2025, the Commission issued 592 cease-and-desist notices and reported 327,964 URLs to search engines.

The €20 Billion Warning

Miller’s criticism arrived against a stark backdrop: a European Casino Association report released ahead of ICE found that illegal online gambling now accounts for 71% of the EU’s online gambling market, costing member states an estimated €20 billion in annual tax revenue.

The numbers are staggering. Illegal operators generated an estimated €80.6 billion in gross gaming revenue—more than double the legal market’s €33.6 billion. Illegal GGR jumped 53% compared to 2023, with over 6,200 illegal operators active in EU markets.

ICE Portfolio Director Margaret Dunn emphasized the urgency: “All of the conversations that we have with our international stakeholders are consistent in confirming the importance they attach to tackling the illegal market which represents a major threat to consumers, to governments and to operators alike.”

The pattern is global. Brazil’s biometric gambling rules represent one enforcement approach; the UK Gambling Commission’s wagering caps reflect another. Regulators are tightening from multiple angles simultaneously.

Awards: IGT and NOVOMATIC Dominate

Two companies swept the major award categories at ICE Barcelona 2026: IGT and NOVOMATIC.

IGT—celebrating its 50th anniversary—collected three significant honors. The International Gaming Awards named them Slot Provider of the Year, validating their content strategy post-Everi merger. The ICE Landmark Award recognized five decades of industry contribution. And Everi’s Premium Cash Redemption Terminal won Best Cash Handling Product at the European Casino Awards.

“These awards highlight the power of IGT’s expanded portfolio and our ability to innovate across gaming, digital and financial technology. The ICE Landmark Award reinforces our legacy while we continue to invest in growth, innovation and differentiated solutions.”
— Hector Fernandez, IGT Incoming CEO

NOVOMATIC matched IGT’s haul with four European Casino Awards victories. Their DIAMOND X 1.55J QUATTRO took Best Slot Machine, while Novo Unity Pro won Best Electronic Table Gaming Product. NOVOVISION claimed Best CMS/Software Product, and the company’s PV System earned the Sustainability Initiative Award—a nod to their environmental investments.

Carlsen vs. Nakamura: The Chess Spectacle

As we previewed, BETBY delivered on their promise of a historic blindfold chess exhibition between Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura on January 20. To the best of public knowledge, this was the first publicly staged blindfold head-to-head between the world’s number one and number two players.

The 15-minute match—played entirely from memory without either grandmaster seeing the board—featured live commentary from Levy Rozman (GothamChess). Carlsen opened with 1.Nf3 rather than the Barcelona-appropriate Catalan, and Nakamura responded with the Agincourt Defence. The event also included a fireside chat exploring strategic thinking, mental discipline, and chess’s evolution as digital entertainment.

Carlsen noted that since early 2023, chess has “just kept showing up in everybody’s algorithms,” with the pandemic shifting focus from classical formats toward speed chess, rapid, and blitz. The activation formed the centerpiece of BETBY’s “Leaders Choose Leaders” campaign with Carlsen.

Sustainable Gambling Zone Success

The 2026 Sustainable Gambling Zone raised a record €80,000 (approximately $93,000) for safer gambling charities—bringing cumulative donations since ICE 2019 to €462,500. Beneficiaries included Gordon Moody (€30,000), Fejar (€25,000), and FES (€10,000).

Donors included Cirsa, Acordjoc, Grupo Orenes, NOVOMATIC Spain, NOVOMATIC Group, Betsson Group, and ALEA. The zone featured 27 safer gambling organizations from 10 countries and occupied a new, more prominent location between Halls 4 and 5 with an open-plan layout designed for maximum visibility.

What’s Next

ICE Barcelona 2026 closed with regulatory enforcement firmly established as the industry’s central challenge. The Meta criticism will likely draw responses in the coming weeks—and potentially regulatory action as the UK’s Crime and Policing Bill progresses.

For operators, the message from Barcelona is clear: the legitimate industry is organizing against both illegal competitors and the platforms that enable them. World Cup 2026 kicks off June 11, and the betting season will test whether enforcement efforts can keep pace with demand—or whether the €20 billion illegal market continues to grow.